Seven
by Payce D. Elui
Summary: Even the most powerful of ninja can make mistakes. Naruto's Shadow Clones begin exhibiting erractic behaviour following the outcome of a disasterous mission. It's time to pick up the pieces. -PostShippuden,OriginalTeamSeven plus Yamato and Sai- -No Slash-


**Author's Note: **Yo :). The plot bunnies attacked me again, and this is the product of the madness. Don't shoot me- I know I have other stories to work on, and am working on it xD. This shouldn't end up too long a fic- around about five to ten chapters, I think. (Maybe even **seven, ***wink* xD). I could be wrong though... Note on pairings at the bottom! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this

**WARNING: this fic is AU, it will include some screwing about with the Naruto timeline and character histories, as well as contain spoilers for the latest Anime/Manga . Character death. Swearing. Rating may change. Sporadic updates...**

**Published:10 March 2010**

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**Chapter 1: Routine**

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There had been madness for over a year as the Fourth Great Ninja war ravaged the nations. Those who had believed that Madara was a fool to wage war on the great nations with a force of just seven shinobi had forgotten exactly what the Akatsuki had been doing those past years. Madara had exactly seven of the nine Bijuu in his hands- they had been fools to forget that or to think that he wouldn't unleash them.

Though Kisame had fallen as declarations of war rang out and Team Taka were badly beaten, things were indeed looking desperate when at the critical hour, Sasuke Uchiha turned on his elder to help Naruto in his efforts to bring the man down.

They had succeeded- barely and though Sasuke had aided them, it had been wishful thinking to think that he would be forgiven for his misdeeds so easily. It was not overlooked that the world owed both Sasuke and Naruto a debt for their efforts, though, and Sasuke was returned to Konoha. Tsunade was back in place as Hokage (Kakashi had happily resigned as soon as she was up from her coma), and though she was known to rule Konoha with a heavy hand, Sasuke had gotten off with an extremely light punishment.

It was common knowledge that Naruto was to thank for that. Tsunade always had held a soft spot for the blonde.

Things were finally right in the world.

It was a year later that this tale unfolds.

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It was a routine, _simple_ mission.

Escort Koyuki Kazahana, Daimyo of the Land of Snow, and her convoy back home from her visit to Konoha. The woman had asked for them personally- feeling familiarity with them from a mission of years gone by.

The team comprised of Yamato, Sai, Sakura and Naruto- Kakashi had been away on another mission and Sasuke was currently being restricted to missions within Fire country. Their team was arguably one of the strongest teams in Konoha, comprising of two Jounin, a Chunin, and one of the most powerful Genin in existence. It _should _have gone perfectly.

But things had gone wrong.

So wrong.

They hadn't even seen it coming.

It had been wishful thinking to believe that Kabuto, more overrun by Orochimaru than ever before, had just crawled into a hole and died after he went missing during the endings of the war. Not after he had so plainly sworn vengeance on Sasuke.

If Sakura knew one thing, she knew that vengeance- deep, twisted, _ugly _vengeance, could keep one going for longer than anyone believed possible. Her eyes flicked to her right regarding her other teammates and catching on one in particular.

Konoha had sent backup once they knew who they were dealing with- a medic of Kabuto's calibre fused with the warped genius of Orochimaru was not one to be taken lightly at all. Tsunade had sent Kakashi and had temporarily lifted Sasuke's restrictions for the mission. Quite honestly, she had been set to leave Konoha herself- Naruto was a damn site more precious to her personally than nearly every other soldier she had out there. But a Hokage has to make sacrifices for her village- as Jiraiya had once said to her before; she could not just up and leave when she felt like it when a village relied on her. So she had settled on the next best thing.

It had been seven weeks since Naruto had gone missing, but they finally had a lead.

Sakura would be damned if she was going to let Team Seven fall apart for a second time.

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In all his years as a shinobi, Naruto had never been tortured before. He had heard the horrors behind it of course- every Genin did at graduation. Unspeakable horrors to ones that some of the girls could barely stomach- he had never really given proper thought to it. Not really.

It was something that happened to other people- never to him.

Before things had screwed up and Sasuke had left, before the Chunin exams, even- just before the mission to Wave, Kakashi had given them a talk about torture. About how they could be tortured for information on Konoha, or their teammates. About how a mission was serious, and how enemies of Konoha won't take pity on you because you cry or scream or are a child.

Sasuke had done his best bastard impression for all that he hadn't said, (a simple "hn" could express so much), he had given the impression that he was too good to get caught and tortured. Sakura had thought him cool, and had vowed to protect him anyways in the event that Naruto screwed up, because "_**Naruto**__, ruins everything for everyone._"

_Naruto_ had pouted and stuck his bottom lip out, and exclaimed in the most obnoxious voice that he could that the only one who was going to screw up was Sasuke, and that he'd be the one to _save_ everyone. Sakura had it all wrong! He had then proceeded to ask Sakura out on a date, and gotten thumped upside the head while the pink haired girl fluttered her eyelashes in a certain Uchiha's direction. She was ignored.

Kakashi had just sighed.

And Naruto had pushed any unease on talks about torture from his mind, because really... who was going to torture the Great Naruto Uzumaki?

Oh the irony.

He wondered when it would end.

Naruto was in a strange feeling of half-life. He was there... but he wasn't. But he was, and when he was, he was in so much pain he could barely comprehend it. He wished it was a nightmare. He didn't know how long it had been- what day it was. Only that there was pain, and a lot of it.

There had been for a while- it hurt to even think.

He heard the soft breath of a sneer near his ear and willed his eyes to open.

And then he wished he hadn't, because it just became all the more real that the grotesque form standing over him wasn't a nightmare, but real life.

Kabuto, blood spattered with a stethoscope draped around his neck- a mockery of a healer and looking more like Orochimaru with every passing second-

"_kukukuku..."_

_-God, they even sounded the same-_

-Plunged a poison tipped kunai into his chest region, and suddenly it was harder to breathe, let alone scream.

"_...B's'tard..."_ It was pathetic how weak he sounded. Naruto "I'm gonna be Hokage, someday!" Uzumaki, Konoha's saviour and apprentice of the Great Toad Sage Jiraiya, strapped to a fucking table unable to do a thing. He'd never felt so damn vulnerable in his life. He never thought he would. A damn victim.

"Now, Naruto-kun," Kabuto smirked, twisting the kunai deeper and letting out a low laugh when Naruto let out a gasp of agony. "I told you that I would have my revenge on Sasuke-kun, you should have heeded my warnings and stayed out of my way."

The kunai was wrenched out as the table was flipped into an upright position, and Naruto felt the liquid slide of things that weren't meant to be moving, sloshing about in his torso.

"But it's too late."

Fingers were digging into wounds and Naruto jerked back and the fingers were removed and kunai was dragged up his forearm.

And he bled.

_Where was the Kyuubi- why wasn't it healing him-?_

_Where was his __**chakra-?**_

"You seem to have forgotten the restrictions you're under, Naruto-kun." Fingers lightly toyed with strategically placed seals on the boy's person. Seals. Well Orochimaru had known about them, why he didn't think Kabuto did was beyond him.

It was how he'd been caught off-guard after all. A five-pronged seal had smashed into his stomach and crippling him while he went to investigate a disturbance away from the rest of the group.

He wondered how long it had taken for them to notice he was gone.

_He _hadn't even seen it coming.

He didn't even know how long he'd been in this godforsaken place for.

"You ignored my warnings... I knew Sasuke-kun was your friend, but really... I can't forgive you for what you've done. He was supposed to end in ruin... To _suffer_. And now he's back in Konoha- not suffering at all. I think it's fair that this is fair punishment- don't you?"

And then Kabuto was cutting, and carving and slicing into his stomach, and Naruto's vocal chords strained, but he couldn't make a sound.

"It's funny... not even the great, Madara Uchiha could bring you this close to death... but I have plans for you... for the both of you really..."

The older nin suddenly stepped back, patting Naruto on the head.

"Stay put, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry things had to turn out this way- but... well you understand, don't you? You understand vengeance- you chased after Sasuke-kun for long enough, and- I'm sorry- and I hope you understand that, because it's all I can say."

The bastard had the nerve to actually sound apologetic.

Naruto was almost tempted to believe him- today was pretty light considering how much Kabuto really enjoyed himself with scalpels usually. Naruto shuddered.

A light, playful slap on the cheek and a second later, Naruto heard light footfalls and a door slam and the room was plunged into darkness.

He was alone. Again.

He only wished the darkness would swallow him.

* * *

When they had burst into the warehouse and Kakashi had smelt the metallic tang of blood in the air, he was worried.

When they discovered Naruto securely strapped to an upright table, covered in suppression seals, barely breathing and with more injuries than Kakashi cared to count _and_ a signed apology that was literally carved into his skin- _why wasn't the Kyuubi healing him!?_- Kakashi knew they had a problem.

And he had heard Sakura let out a horrified gasp and Sai's jaw clench, and Sasuke let out the slightest hiss of breath and Kakashi knew there would be trouble.

Together with Sasuke, Yamato, and Sai, Kakashi had scoured the warehouse for a trace of that traitorous filth, Kabuto.

But there was no sign of him save for the weeping slashes marring Naruto's blackened skin.

For now.

As soon as Sakura had stabilised the unconscious Naruto, it was time to head home.

And fast.

Tsunade would not be happy about this.

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**Pairings:** Not much of an idea- a lot of it will probably be implied as this is not romance-centric. NaruHina-ish, I guess, but Hinata will probably only make a couple of appearances as this is a Team Seven centric fic. **No SasuSaku**- though it may be a little one sided on Sakura's behalf.

**Authors Note:** So, first chapter/prologue is over and done with! Setting the foundations, and I hope I've interested you! The rookies are around 18 years old. I haven't tried anything like this- nor have I seen anything like this out there. Believe it or not, it was inspired by a documentary on multiple personalities. And yes, I watch documentaries :). Take from that what you will xD. I'll try and get the next chapter out sometime soon. Til then :)

**Please R&R :)**


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